Washing-machine



W. H. SARGENT.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. 17, 1919.

1,350, 1 1 6. Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

l 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

lumen/207.

W. H. SARGENT.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17. 1919.

1 ,350, 1 1 6, Patented Aug- 17, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SARGENT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WAYNE MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORRORATION.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Application fil ed October 17, 1919.

electric motor. .Other suitable drivingv power, however, such as a hydraulic motor, could equally well be employed for this purpose. The invention has for its objects to provide a novel construction and arrangement of parts for insuring a uniform and even rocking movement of the tub; to provide means for preventing the actuating mechanism from stopping on a dead center,

and to mount the tub in such a manner that the danger of injury to the operator by having the hand caught in any part of the mechanism, or between the tub and a fixed part of the machine is practically obviated.

In addition to the above specific objects of the invention, other objects reside in the simplicity of the construction involved and the advantages derived from the general construction of the machine as a whole, all of which will more clearly appear from the description to follow: p

In the accompanying drawings, v

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to my invention with the casing broken away to illustrate the motor drive;

Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal sectional View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the casing and the operating mechanism mounted therein, the tub being removed; and

Fig. 4c is a central vertical section taken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to these drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a casing closed on all sides, preferably of metal and rectangular in shape, supported by legs 2 and having an elevated bottom 3, on which, near one end of the casing, is mounted a motor 4-, the shaft of which is provided with a drive pulley 5. The driving mechanism includes a crossshaft 6 suitably mounted within the easing 1, which has secured thereon, at one end,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

Serial No. 331,412. 8

opposite sides of the casing 1. The shaft 11 has loosely mounted on its end, remote from the gear-wheel '10, a sleeve carrying a crank arm 13, which is pivotally connected at its outer end to the lower end of a pitman rod 14 as indicated at 15. The upper end of the pitman rod 14 is pivotally connected at 16 to a lug 17, on one end of a rocker frame 18. The sleeve is provided with a fixed clutch member 19, and the shaft with a movable clutch member 20, which is splined on said shaft, and a throw-lever 21 is provided for operating the movable clutch member. This clutch mechanism is of the usual, or any preferred construction, as common in machines of this character, and is illustrated merely for the purpose of makin the operation of the machine clear. The rocker frame 18, previously alluded to, comprises two parallel 'members, each of which is formed preferably of a metal bar bent to provide a rocker 22 (Fig.2) and a longitudinal member 23 located above the rocker, the two members 23 forming a bed or tubholder for supporting the bottom 24 of the tub 25. The bars 23 have upwardly turned integral extensions to engage the ends of the tub and the rockers 22 in each instance, preferably unite and are jointly curved upwardly at their opposite ends, as indicated at 26 in Fig. 2, to provide a support and holder for the rounded corners 27 of the tub. The tub 25 is provided at its ends and either side, with suitable means which may be in the form of continuous flanges 28 which embrace the outer sides of the rocker frame 18 to prevent lateral movement of the tub in the frame.

From the construction described. it will be seen that the tub when set in the rocker frame 18. will be held in position therein by means of the curved projections 26 at the ends of the rocker frame and by the flanges 28 embracing the opposite sides of the rocker frame. without any other means of holding the tub in place being required. The construction permits the tub to be readily placed in position in the rocker frame and as readily removed at all times by simply lifting the tub off the tub holder. The two members of the rocker frame are connected at their 0 posite ends by cross-bars 29, on one of whlch the lug 17, previously referred to, is mounted. I provide suitable means forpreventing the rocker frame from creeping along the supporting led es, preferably constructed as follows wardly from each of the longitudinal members 23 of the rocker frame is a bracket arm 30, (Figs. 2 and 4), the lower ends of thesebracket arms being connected by'a cross-bar 31. The numeral 32 indicates two parallel pivot barswhich are pivotally mounted at their outer ends at one end of the casing 1, as indicated at 33 in Figs. 2 and 3, and at their inner ends are pivotally mounted on the cross-bar 31. Extending longitudinally of casing 1, nearopposite sides thereof, are two parallel angle bars 34 which serve, respectively, as the ledges or supports for the rockers 22, and on which the curved lower edges of said rockers rest and roll, in the operation of the machine. The side flanges 35 of these bars embrace the outer sides of the rockers 22 and thus serve to prevent latarm 13 will be caused to be rotatedand reciprocate the pitman 14, which movement of the pitman will impart a rocking movement to the tub 25; the latter will be held to a central position on the angle bars 34 by means of the pivot rods 32 engaging the cross-bar 31. There will be a slight sliding movement of the rockers 22 on these angle bars, but in actual practice with a full-size machinejsuch sliding movement scarcely exceeds one-sixteenth of an inch in extent, and does not affect the even rocking movement of the tub.

He'retofore, it has been attempted to secure the tub in position in its rocking movement by means of a pin and double slot connection, and I originally employed such a construction. It was found, however, that such an arrangement was not feasible, as the movement, or throw of the water and the clothes in the tub was with such force as to cause an end-wise movement of the tub and thus destroy the correct .alinement of the pin rojecting downter.

connected at one end to t 1 These objections are overcome in the present ing misplaced in movement, and hence vibration and noise are reduced to the minimum.

- One of the objects of the invention has been stated to be the prevention of the op: erating mechanism stopping on a dead cen- This' object is accomplished through the medium of a coil-spring 36 which is e cross-bar 31 and atthe other end to the pitman rod 14, about mid-way of the length of the latter, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This spring will operate to pull the pitman rod 14 to the position shown in Fig. 2 Whenever the power is turned off, in which position the pivot 15 is out of the line of thrust, as will be seen.

The final object of the invention is concerned withpreventing injury to the hand of the operator, and relates to the provision of means for effectively guarding the driving mechanism, at the same time providing a construction rendering the motor and driving mechanism readily accessible. This object is effected by inserting the 1 tub 25 through an opening 37 in the top of the casing 1, and positioning the angle bars 34 well below the top of the casing, so that the rocker frame, as a whole, is below the top of said casing, and the mechanism of the machine is below the tub in the casing and guarded on all sides by the casing. It is impossible, therefore, for the operator or a child to get fingers caught beneath the rocker and the fixed part of the casing or to come into contact with any'of the driving parts, and there is no part of the tub which approaches sufficiently close to the edge of the opening 37 to cause injury to the hand of the operator, even should it be inserted-in the said opening. -But the starting lever is accessible through the opening and access may be readily had to the mechanism through the top opening 37 by removing the tub and the holder.

I claim:

1. A washing machine comprising a casing, having an opening in its top and provided on its interior, and below the top, with rocker supports, a rocker-frame comprising rockers mounted on said supports and a tub holder, a tub insertible throu h said opening and adapted tobe received by said holder, said rocker-frame, when in position on said supports, being located below the top of said casing, and means for rocking said rocker-frame.

2. A washing machine comprising a casing having an opening in its top, and provided on its interior, below the top, with supporting ledges, a rocker-frame comprising rockers with their lower edges resting on said ledges, a tub holder supported on the rockers, a removable tub insertible through said opening and resting in said holder, said rocker-frame, when in position on said ledges, being located below the top of said casing, a motor mounted within the casing below said rocker-frame, and means for rocking said rocker -frame from said motor.

3. A washing machine comprising a casing having an opening in its' top and provided on its interior, below the top with supporting ledges, a rocker-frame comprising a tub holder and rockers mounted to roll on said ledges, a tub insertible through said opening and adapted to be received in said holder, bars pivotally mounted at their outer ends, near one end of said casing and at their inner ends being pivotally connected centrally of said rocker-frame, and miians for rocking saidrocker-frame and tu 4. A washing machine comprising acasing having an opening in its top and provided on its interior, below the top, with rocker supports, a rocker-frame comprising rockers mounted onsaid' supports and a tub.

holder, a tub insertible through said opening and adapted to be received by said holder, a cross-bar suspended from the bottom of said tub holder and located centrally thereof, bars pivotally connected at their outer ends near one end of said casing and at their inner ends being pivotally connected to said cross-bar, and means for rocking said rockerframe and tub.

5. A washing machine comprising a frame having parallel rocker supports mounted therein, a rocker-frame comprising rockers mounted on said supports and a tub holder, bars pivotally connected at their outer ends near one end of said frame, and at their inner ends being pivotally connected to the bottom of said tub holder centrally thereof, and means. for rocking said rocker-frame.

6. A washing machine comprising a frame having parallel rocker supports mounted therein, a rocker-frame comprising rockers mounted on said supports and a tub holder, a motor, a crank driven thereby, a pitman connecting said crank and one end of said rocker-frame, and a spring connected to said pitman and operating when the motor is stopped to hold said pitman in a position whereby the said crank will be off of a dead center.

7 A washing machine comprising a frame having rocker supports, a rocker-frame .frame mounted on said supports and adapted to receive a tub, a motor, a crank driven by sa1d motor, a pltman connecting said crank and one end of sald rocker-frame,

means for disconnecting said crank from the motor, and a spring connected at one end to said pitman intermediate the ends thereof and at the other end to a fixed part of the machine, and operating, when the machine is rendered inoperative, to draw said pitman to a position where its connection with the crank will be off of a dead center.

9. A washing machine comprising rocker supports, a rocker-frame mounted on said supports, a tub adapted to be mounted in said rocker-frame, means for maintaining the rocker-frame in a relatively fixed position on said supports comprising a bar pivotally secured at one end to a fixed support and pivotally connected at the other end with said rocker-frame and centrally thereof, and means for rocking said rockerframe.

10. In a washing machine, in combination with parallel angle-bars forming rocker supports, a rocker-frame comprising two conn cted side members each of which consists of associated metal bars, one of which is curved to form a rocker and the other of which extends longitudinally over the rocker, said bars being connected and jointly curved upward at their ends to form, with said longitudinal portion, a holder, the said holders being adapted to receive and hold a tub, and the said rockers to rest upon I and be embraced by said angle bars.

11. A washing machine, comprising a casing having an opening in its top, a tub holder supported within the casing and below said opening, a tub resting on said tub holder and removable at will by lifting the same off of the tub holder and through said opening, and means within the casing for rocking the tub holder.

- 12. In a washing machine, the combination of an elongated casing having an opening through its top, supporting ledges within said casing and below the openin a tub holder having rockers resting on sai ledges, a pitman rod pivotally attached to said tub holder at one end of the tub holder and extending down into the casing, a tub resting on saidtub holder and removable at will frame from creeping along the ledges, and

through said" opening, a motor within said casing below said tub holder, and means for actuating said pitinan rod from said motor.

13. A washing machine comprising acasing having an opening in its top and provided on its interior below the opening with supporting ledges, a rocker frame comprising a tub holder and rockers mounted to roll on said ledges, a tub insertible through said opening and adapted to be received by said holder, means for preventing the rocker means for rocking said rocker frame and tub.

' 14. A washing machine comprising a casing having an opening in its topandprovided on its interior below the opening with supporting ledges,-a rocker frame comprisin a tub holder and, rockers mounted to r0 1 on said ledges, a tub insertible through said opening and resting on said tub holder, means for preventing the tub from shifting laterally on the tub holder, means for preventing the rocker frame from creeping along the ledges, and means for rocking said rocker frame and tub.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. SARGENT. 

